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| Barnes-Evans relations for dwarfs with an application to the determination of distances to cataclysmic variables
Context: . Barnes-Evans type relations provide an empirical relationshipbetween the surface brightness of stars and their color. They are widelyused for measuring the distances to stars of known radii, as theRoche-lobe filling secondaries in cataclysmic variables (CVs).Aims: . The calibration of the surface brightness of field dwarfs ofnear-solar metalicity with spectral types A0 to L8 covers all secondaryspectral types detectable in CVs and related objects and will aid in themeasurement of their distances. Methods: . The calibrations arebased on the radii of field dwarfs measured by the Infrared Flux Methodand by interferometry. Published photometry is used and homogenized tothe Cousins Rc and Ic and the CIT JHK photometricsystems. The narrow band surface brightness at 7500 Å is based onour own and published spectrophotometry. Care is taken to select thedwarfs for near-solar metalicity, appropriate to CVs, and to avoiderrors caused by unrecognized binarity. Results: . Relations areprovided for the surface brightness in V, R_c, I_c, J, H, K and in anarrow band at 7500 Å as functions of V-K and of spectral type.The method is tested with selected CVs for which independent informationon their distances is available. The observed spread in the radii ofearly M-dwarfs of given mass or luminosity and its influence on thedistance measurements of CVs is discussed. Conclusions: . As longas accurate trigonometric parallaxes are not routinely available for alarge number of CVs, the surface brightness method remains a reliablemeans of determining distances to CVs in which a spectral signature ofthe secondary star can be discerned.
| First Results from the CHARA Array. IV. The Interferometric Radii of Low-Mass Stars
We have measured the angular diameters of six M dwarfs with the CHARAArray, a long-baseline optical interferometer located at Mount WilsonObservatory. Spectral types range from M1.0 V to M3.0 V and linear radiifrom 0.38 to 0.69 Rsolar. These results are consistent withthe seven other M dwarf radii measurements from optical interferometryand with those for 14 stars in eclipsing binary systems. We compare alldirectly measured M dwarf radii to model predictions and find thatcurrent models underestimate the true stellar radii by up to 15%-20%.The differences are small among the metal-poor stars but becomesignificantly larger with increasing metallicity. This suggests thattheoretical models for low-mass stars may be missing some opacity sourcethat alters the computed stellar radii.
| Ca II H and K Chromospheric Emission Lines in Late-K and M Dwarfs
We have measured the profiles of the Ca II H and K chromosphericemission lines in 147 main-sequence stars of spectral type M5-K7 (masses0.30-0.55 Msolar) using multiple high-resolution spectraobtained during 6 years with the HIRES spectrometer on the Keck Itelescope. Remarkably, the average FWHM, equivalent widths, and lineluminosities of Ca II H and K increase by a factor of 3 with increasingstellar mass over this small range of stellar masses. We fit the Ca II Hand K lines with a double-Gaussian model to represent both thechromospheric emission and the non-LTE central absorption. Most of thesample stars display a central absorption that is typically redshiftedby ~0.1 km s-1 relative to the emission. This implies thatthe higher level, lower density chromospheric material has a smalleroutward velocity (or higher inward velocity) by 0.1 km s-1than the lower level material in the chromosphere, but the nature ofthis velocity gradient remains unknown. The FWHM of the Ca II H and Kemission lines increase with stellar luminosity, reminiscent of theWilson-Bappu effect in FGK-type stars. Both the equivalent widths andFWHM exhibit modest temporal variability in individual stars. At a givenvalue of MV, stars exhibit a spread in both the equivalentwidth and FWHM of Ca II H and K, due both to a spread in fundamentalstellar parameters, including rotation rate, age, and possiblymetallicity, and to the spread in stellar mass at a given MV.The K line is consistently wider than the H line, as expected, and itscentral absorption is more redshifted, indicating that the H and K linesform at slightly different heights in the chromosphere where thevelocities are slightly different. The equivalent width of Hαcorrelates with Ca II H and K only for stars having Ca II equivalentwidths above ~2 Å, suggesting the existence of a magneticthreshold above which the lower and upper chromospheres become thermallycoupled.Based on observations obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which isoperated jointly by the University of California and the CaliforniaInstitute of Technology. Keck time has been granted by both NASA and theUniversity of California.
| Metallicity of M dwarfs. I. A photometric calibration and the impact on the mass-luminosity relation at the bottom of the main sequence
We obtained high resolution ELODIE and CORALIE spectra for bothcomponents of 20 wide visual binaries composed of an F-, G- or K-dwarfprimary and an M-dwarf secondary. We analyse the well-understood spectraof the primaries to determine metallicities ([Fe/H]) for these 20systems, and hence for their M dwarf components. We pool thesemetallicities with determinations from the literature to obtain aprecise (±0.2 dex) photometric calibration of M dwarfmetallicities. This calibration represents a breakthrough in a fieldwhere discussions have had to remain largely qualitative, and it helpsus demonstrate that metallicity explains most of the large dispersion inthe empirical V-band mass-luminosity relation. We examine themetallicity of the two known M-dwarf planet-host stars, Gl876 (+0.02 dex) and Gl 436 (-0.03 dex), inthe context of preferential planet formation around metal-rich stars. Wefinally determine the metallicity of the 47 brightest single M dwarfs ina volume-limited sample, and compare the metallicity distributions ofsolar-type and M-dwarf stars in the solar neighbourhood.
| RXJ2130.6+4710 - an eclipsing white dwarf-M-dwarf binary star
We report the detection of eclipses in the close white-dwarf-M-dwarfbinary star RXJ2130.6+4710. We present light curves in the B, V and Ibands and fast photometry obtained with the three-channel CCD photometerUltracam of the eclipse in the u', g' and r' bands. The depth of theeclipse varies from 3.0 mag in the u' band to less than 0.1 mag in the Iband. The times of mid-eclipse are given by the ephemerisBJD(mid-eclipse) = 2452785.681876(2) + 0.521035625(3) E, where figuresin parentheses denote uncertainties in the final digit. We presentmedium-resolution spectroscopy from which we have measured thespectroscopic orbits of the M dwarf and white dwarf. We estimate thatthe spectral type of the M dwarf is M3.5Ve or M4Ve, although the data onwhich this is based are not ideal for spectral classification. We havecompared the spectra of the white dwarf with synthetic spectra from purehydrogen model atmospheres to estimate that the effective temperature ofthe white dwarf is Teff= 18000 +/- 1000 K. We have used thewidth of the primary eclipse and duration of totality measured preciselyfrom the Ultracam u' data combined with the amplitude of the ellipsoidaleffect in the I band and the semi-amplitudes of the spectroscopic orbitsto derive masses and radii for the M dwarf and white dwarf. The M dwarfhas a mass of 0.555 +/- 0.023 Msolar and a radius of 0.534+/- 0.053 Rsolar, which is a typical radius for stars of thismass. The mass of the white dwarf is 0.554 +/- 0.017 Msolarand its radius is 0.0137 +/- 0.0014 Rsolar, which is theradius expected for a carbon-oxygen white dwarf of this mass andeffective temperature. The light curves are affected by frequent flaresfrom the M dwarf and the associated dark spots on its surface can bedetected from the distortions to the light curves and radial velocities.RXJ2130.6+4710 is a rare example of a pre-cataclysmic variable star thatwill start mass transfer at a period above the period gap forcataclysmic variables.
| The χ Factor: Determining the Strength of Activity in Low-Mass Dwarfs
We describe a new, distance-independent method for calculating themagnetic activity strength in low-mass dwarfs,LHα/Lbol. Using a well-observed sample ofnearby stars and cool standards spanning spectral type M0.5 to L0, wecompute χ, the ratio between the continuum flux near Hα andthe bolometric flux, fλ6560/fbol. Thisratio can be multiplied by the measured equivalent width of the Hαemission line to yield LHα/Lbol. We provideχ values for all objects in our sample, and also fits to χ as afunction of color and average values by spectral type. This method wasused by West et al. to examine trends in magnetic activity strength inlow-mass stars.
| Chromospheric Ca II Emission in Nearby F, G, K, and M Stars
We present chromospheric Ca II H and K activity measurements, rotationperiods, and ages for ~1200 F, G, K, and M type main-sequence stars from~18,000 archival spectra taken at Keck and Lick Observatories as a partof the California and Carnegie Planet Search Project. We have calibratedour chromospheric S-values against the Mount Wilson chromosphericactivity data. From these measurements we have calculated medianactivity levels and derived R'HK, stellar ages,and rotation periods from general parameterizations for 1228 stars,~1000 of which have no previously published S-values. We also presentprecise time series of activity measurements for these stars.Based on observations obtained at Lick Observatory, which is operated bythe University of California, and on observations obtained at the W. M.Keck Observatory, which is operated jointly by the University ofCalifornia and the California Institute of Technology. The KeckObservatory was made possible by the generous financial support of theW. M. Keck Foundation.
| Target Selection for SETI. II. Tycho-2 Dwarfs, Old Open Clusters, and the Nearest 100 Stars
We present the full target list and prioritization algorithm developedfor use by the microwave search for technological signals at the SETIInstitute. We have included the Catalog of Nearby Habitable StellarSystems (HabCat, described in Paper I), all of the nearest 100 stars and14 old open clusters. This is further augmented by a subset of theTycho-2 catalog based on reduced proper motions, and this larger catalogshould routinely provide at least three target stars within the largeprimary field of view of the Allen Telescope Array. The algorithm forprioritizing objects in the full target list includes scoring based onthe subset category of each target (i.e., HabCat, cluster, Tycho-2, ornearest 100), its distance (if known), and its proximity to the Sun onthe color-magnitude diagram.
| Improved Astrometry and Photometry for the Luyten Catalog. II. Faint Stars and the Revised Catalog
We complete construction of a catalog containing improved astrometry andnew optical/infrared photometry for the vast majority of NLTT starslying in the overlap of regions covered by POSS I and by the secondincremental Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) release, approximately 44%of the sky. The epoch 2000 positions are typically accurate to 130 mas,the proper motions to 5.5 mas yr-1, and the V-J colors to0.25 mag. Relative proper motions of binary components are measured to 3mas yr-1. The false-identification rate is ~1% for11<~V<~18 and substantially less at brighter magnitudes. Theseimprovements permit the construction of a reduced proper-motion diagramthat, for the first time, allows one to classify NLTT stars intomain-sequence (MS) stars, subdwarfs (SDs), and white dwarfs (WDs). We inturn use this diagram to analyze the properties of both our catalog andthe NLTT catalog on which it is based. In sharp contrast to popularbelief, we find that NLTT incompleteness in the plane is almostcompletely concentrated in MS stars, and that SDs and WDs are detectedalmost uniformly over the sky δ>-33deg. Our catalogwill therefore provide a powerful tool to probe these populationsstatistically, as well as to reliably identify individual SDs and WDs.
| Hipparcos red stars in the HpV_T2 and V I_C systems
For Hipparcos M, S, and C spectral type stars, we provide calibratedinstantaneous (epoch) Cousins V - I color indices using newly derivedHpV_T2 photometry. Three new sets of ground-based Cousins V I data havebeen obtained for more than 170 carbon and red M giants. These datasetsin combination with the published sources of V I photometry served toobtain the calibration curves linking Hipparcos/Tycho Hp-V_T2 with theCousins V - I index. In total, 321 carbon stars and 4464 M- and S-typestars have new V - I indices. The standard error of the mean V - I isabout 0.1 mag or better down to Hp~9 although it deteriorates rapidly atfainter magnitudes. These V - I indices can be used to verify thepublished Hipparcos V - I color indices. Thus, we have identified ahandful of new cases where, instead of the real target, a random fieldstar has been observed. A considerable fraction of the DMSA/C and DMSA/Vsolutions for red stars appear not to be warranted. Most likely suchspurious solutions may originate from usage of a heavily biased color inthe astrometric processing.Based on observations from the Hipparcos astrometric satellite operatedby the European Space Agency (ESA 1997).}\fnmsep\thanks{Table 7 is onlyavailable in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/397/997
| The radii and spectra of the nearest stars
We discuss direct measurements of the radii of 36 stars located closerthan 25 parsecs to the Sun. We present the data on 307 radii and 326spectral types and luminosity classes for the nearest stars locatedinside the sphere with a radius of 10 parsecs.
| Radial Velocities for 889 Late-Type Stars
We report radial velocities for 844 FGKM-type main-sequence and subgiantstars and 45 K giants, most of which had either low-precision velocitymeasurements or none at all. These velocities differ from the standardstars of Udry et al. by 0.035 km s-1 (rms) for the 26 FGKstandard stars in common. The zero point of our velocities differs fromthat of Udry et al.: =+0.053km s-1. Thus, these new velocities agree with the best knownstandard stars both in precision and zero point, to well within 0.1 kms-1. Nonetheless, both these velocities and the standardssuffer from three sources of systematic error, namely, convectiveblueshift, gravitational redshift, and spectral type mismatch of thereference spectrum. These systematic errors are here forced to be zerofor G2 V stars by using the Sun as reference, with Vesta and day sky asproxies. But for spectral types departing from solar, the systematicerrors reach 0.3 km s-1 in the F and K stars and 0.4 kms-1 in M dwarfs. Multiple spectra were obtained for all 889stars during 4 years, and 782 of them exhibit velocity scatter less than0.1 km s-1. These stars may serve as radial velocitystandards if they remain constant in velocity. We found 11 newspectroscopic binaries and report orbital parameters for them. Based onobservations obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operatedjointly by the University of California and the California Institute ofTechnology, and on observations obtained at the Lick Observatory, whichis operated by the University of California.
| Revised Coordinates and Proper Motions of the Stars in the Luyten Half-Second Catalog
We present refined coordinates and proper-motion data for the highproper-motion (HPM) stars in the Luyten Half-Second (LHS) catalog. Thepositional uncertainty in the original Luyten catalog is typicallygreater than 10" and is often greater than 30". We have used the digitalscans of the POSS I and POSS II plates to derive more accurate positionsand proper motions of the objects. Out of the 4470 candidates in the LHScatalog, 4323 objects were manually reidentified in the POSS I and POSSII scans. A small fraction of the stars were not found because of thelack of finder charts and digitized POSS II scans. The uncertainties inthe revised positions are typically ~2" but can be as high as ~8" in afew cases, which is a large improvement over the original data.Cross-correlation with the Tycho-2 and Hipparcos catalogs yielded 819candidates (with mR<~12). For these brighter sources, theposition and proper-motion data were replaced with the more accurateTycho-2/Hipparcos data. In total, we have revised proper-motionmeasurements and coordinates for 4040 stars and revised coordinates for4330 stars. The electronic version of the paper5 contains the updated information on all 4470stars in the LHS catalog.
| The Palomar/MSU Nearby Star Spectroscopic Survey. III. Chromospheric Activity, M Dwarf Ages, and the Local Star Formation History
We present high-resolution echelle spectroscopy of 676 nearby M dwarfs.Our measurements include radial velocities, equivalent widths ofimportant chromospheric emission lines, and rotational velocities forrapidly rotating stars. We identify several distinct groups by theirHα properties and investigate variations in chromospheric activityamong early (M0-M2.5) and mid (M3-M6) dwarfs. Using a volume-limitedsample together with a relationship between age and chromosphericactivity, we show that the rate of star formation in the immediate solarneighborhood has been relatively constant over the last 4 Gyr. Inparticular, our results are inconsistent with recent large bursts ofstar formation. We use the correlation between Hα activity and ageas a function of color to set constraints on the properties of L and Tdwarf secondary components in binary systems. We also identify a numberof interesting stars, including rapid rotators, radial velocityvariables, and spectroscopic binaries. Observations were made at the 60inch telescope at Palomar Mountain, which is jointly owned by theCalifornia Institute of Technology and the Carnegie Institution ofWashington.
| A Near-Infrared, Wide-Field, Proper-Motion Search for Brown Dwarfs
A common proper-motion survey of M dwarf stars within 8 pc of the Sunreveals no new stellar or brown dwarf companions at wide separations(~100-1400 AU). This survey tests whether the brown dwarf ``desert''extends to large separations around M dwarf stars and further exploresthe census of the solar neighborhood. The sample includes 66 stars northof -30° and within 8 pc of the Sun. Existing first-epoch images arecompared with new J-band images of the same fields an average of 7 yrlater to reveal proper-motion companions within a ~4' radius of theprimary star. No new companions are detected to a J-band limitingmagnitude of ~16.5, corresponding to a companion mass of ~40 Jupitermasses for an assumed age of 5 Gyr at the mean distance of the objectsin the survey, 5.8 pc.
| The Solar Neighborhood. VI. New Southern Nearby Stars Identified by Optical Spectroscopy
Broadband optical spectra are presented for 34 known and candidatenearby stars in the southern sky. Spectral types are determined using anew method that compares the entire spectrum with spectra of more than100 standard stars. We estimate distances to 13 candidate nearby starsusing our spectra and new or published photometry. Six of these starsare probably within 25 pc, and two are likely to be within the ResearchConsortium on Nearby Stars (RECONS) horizon of 10 pc.
| A Coronagraphic Survey for Companions of Stars within 8 Parsecs
We present the technique and results of a survey of stars within 8 pc ofthe Sun with declinations δ>-35° (J2000.00). The survey,designed to find without color bias faint companions, consists ofoptical coronagraphic images of the 1' field of view centered on eachstar and infrared direct images with a 32" field of view. The imageswere obtained through the optical Gunn r and z filters and the infraredJ and K filters. The survey achieves sensitivities up to 4 absolutemagnitudes fainter than the prototype brown dwarf, Gliese 229B. However,this sensitivity varies with the seeing conditions, the intrinsicbrightness of the star observed, and the angular distance from the star.As a result, we tabulate sensitivity limits for each star in the survey.We used the criterion of common proper motion to distinguish companionsand to determine their luminosities. In addition to the brown dwarf Gl229B, we have identified six new stellar companions of the sample stars.Since the survey began, accurate trigonometric parallax measurements formost of the stars have become available. As a result, some of the starswe originally included should no longer be included in the 8 pc sample.In addition, the 8 pc sample is incomplete at the faint end of the mainsequence, complicating our calculation of the binary fraction of browndwarfs. We assess the sensitivity of the survey to stellar companionsand to brown dwarf companions of different masses and ages.
| Catalogue of Apparent Diameters and Absolute Radii of Stars (CADARS) - Third edition - Comments and statistics
The Catalogue, available at the Centre de Données Stellaires deStrasbourg, consists of 13 573 records concerning the results obtainedfrom different methods for 7778 stars, reported in the literature. Thefollowing data are listed for each star: identifications, apparentmagnitude, spectral type, apparent diameter in arcsec, absolute radiusin solar units, method of determination, reference, remarks. Commentsand statistics obtained from CADARS are given. The Catalogue isavailable in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcar?J/A+A/367/521
| Photometric Measurements of the Fields of More than 700 Nearby Stars
In preparation for optical/IR interferometric searches for substellarcompanions of nearby stars, we undertook to characterize the fields ofall nearby stars visible from the Northern Hemisphere to determinesuitable companions for interferometric phase referencing. Because theKeck Interferometer in particular will be able to phase-reference oncompanions within the isoplanatic patch (30") to about 17th magnitude atK, we took images at V, r, and i that were deep enough to determine iffield stars were present to this magnitude around nearby stars using aspot-coated CCD. We report on 733 fields containing 10,629 measurementsin up to three filters (Gunn i, r and Johnson V) of nearby stars down toabout 13th magnitude at V.
| Barnes-Evans relations for late-type giants and dwarfs
The visual surface brightness of K/M giants and dwarfs with near-solarmetallicity differ slightly in agreement with the gravity effectspredicted by recent theoretical models. We show that M-dwarfs displayalso a metallicity dependence of the surface brightness in the infraredK-band in agreement with theory. Based on these results, we presentimproved Barnes-Evans type relations and estimate the radii of 60 singleor presumed M and K-dwarfs.
| Measuring the Magnetic Field on the Classical T Tauri Star BP Tauri
We examine several theories that describe how stellar magnetic fields onclassical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) interact with their surroundingaccretion disks. We demonstrate that these theories require magneticfield strengths ranging from a few hundred to several thousand gauss,depending on which model is used and more importantly on the propertiesof individual systems. For example, the CTTS BP Tau is predicted to havea relatively strong magnetic field (1.4-4.1 kG), which should bedetectable. We present infrared (IR) and optical echelle spectra of BPTau and several reference stars of similar spectral class. Usingdetailed spectrum synthesis and the latest model atmospheres, we fitted12 absorption features in the optical spectrum, including the strongtitanium oxide (TiO) band head at 7055 Å. For BP Tau we determinekey stellar parameters: effective temperature (T_eff=4055+/-112 K),gravity (logg=3.67+/-0.50), metallicity ([M/H]=0.18+/-0.11), projectedrotational velocity (vsini=10.2+/-1.8 km s^-1), and optical veiling(r=0.00-0.15). A similar analysis of 61 Cyg B (K7 V) is used to validatethe methodology. We then use the IR spectra to look for Zeemanbroadening, which has a more pronounced effect at longer wavelengths. AZeeman sensitive Ti I line at 2.2233 μm appears significantlybroadened in BP Tau, relative to several rotationally broadened standardstars. The observed line is also significantly broader than predictionsbased on our optical analysis. Interpreting this excess broadening asZeeman splitting of the Ti I line, we fitted the spectrum and find adistribution of field strengths whose surface averaged mean isB=2.6+/-0.3 kG. We did not use the Zeeman sensitive Fe I line at 8468.4Å when determining stellar or magnetic parameters for BP Tau, sothis line provides a test of our results. The observed line profile isindeed broader than the nonmagnetic prediction, but the 8468.4 Åline gives a magnetic flux lower than what was obtained in the IR,perhaps indicating that strong fields are concentrated into cool spots.Finally, we investigate an ad hoc model in which the IR line is assumedto form in the accretion disk itself. We discuss several reasons why themagnetic model is preferred, but the disk atmosphere example illustratesthat our magnetic field measurement must still be tested using severalIR lines with a range of Zeeman sensitivities.
| The ROSAT all-sky survey catalogue of the nearby stars
We present X-ray data for all entries of the Third Catalogue of NearbyStars \cite[(Gliese & Jahreiss 1991)]{gli91} that have been detectedas X-ray sources in the ROSAT all-sky survey. The catalogue contains1252 entries yielding an average detection rate of 32.9 percent. Inaddition to count rates, source detection parameters, hardness ratios,and X-ray fluxes we also list X-ray luminosities derived from Hipparcosparallaxes. Catalogue also available at CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Are the red dwarfs in cataclysmic variables main-sequence stars?
We show that the secondaries in short-period cataclysmic variables withorbital periods P < 3 hr are close to the solar-abundance mainsequence defined by single field stars. In cataclysmic variables with P> 3 hr, the earliest spectral types at a given period correspond tomain sequence stars, while the majority of secondaries have laterspectral types. Possible causes are nuclear evolution prior to masstransfer and lack of thermal equilibrium due to mass transfer. Acomparison with evolutionary sequences obtained with up-to-date stellarmodels implies unusually high transfer rates and a large fraction ofsystems with evolved donors. There is no evidence for a secondary of lowmetallicity in any of the well-studied cataclysmic variables.
| High Chromospheric Activity in M Subdwarfs
We present spectroscopic observations of two halo M subdwarfs that haveHα emission lines. We show that in both cases close companions arethe likely cause of the chromospheric activity in these old, metal-poorstars. We argue that Gl 781A's unseen companion is most likely a coolhelium white dwarf. Gl 455 is a near-equal-mass M subdwarf (sdM) system.Gl 781A is rapidly rotating, with v sin i ~ 30 km s^-1. The propertiesof the chromospheres and X-ray coronae of these systems are comparedwith M dwarfs with emission (dMe's). The X-ray hardness ratios andoptical chromospheric line emission ratios are consistent with thoseseen in dMe stars. Comparison with active near-solar metallicity starsindicates that, despite their low metallicity ([M/H] ~ -1.2), the sdMestars are roughly as active in both X-rays and chromospheric emission.Measured by L_X/L_bol, the activity level of Gl 781A is no more than afactor of 2.5 subluminous with respect to near-solar-metallicity stars.Observations were made partially at the 60 inch telescope at PalomarMountain, which is jointly owned by the California Institute ofTechnology and the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
| Rotation and chromospheric activity in field M dwarfs
We have obtained high resolution spectra for a volume-limited sample of118 field M dwarfs. From these observations we derive projectedrotational velocities and fluxes in the H_alpha and H_beta lines. 8stars are double-lined spectroscopic binaries with measured or probableperiods short enough for rotation to be tidally synchronized with theorbit, and another 11 are visual binaries where we cannot yet separatethe lines of the two stars. Of the remaining 99 stars, 24 haverotational velocities above our detection limit of ~ 2 km.s(-1) , andsome are quite fast rotators, including two with v sin i\ =~ 30 km.s(-1)and one with v sin i\ =~ 50 km.s(-1) . Given the small radii of Mdwarfs, these moderate rotational velocities correspond to rather shortmaximum rotational periods, of only 7-8 hours. These three stars aregood candidates for Doppler imaging. We find that rotation is stronglycorrelated with both spectral type and kinematic population: all starswith measurable rotation are later than M3.5, and all but one havekinematic properties typical of the young disk, or intermediate betweenthe young disk and the the old disk. We interpret this correlation asevidence for a spin-down timescale that increases with decreasing mass.At the age of the old disk or halo, all stars earlier than M5-M6(0.1-0.15Msun) have spun-down to below our detection limit,while at the age of the young disk this has only happened for starsearlier than M3.5. The one star with measurable rotation and akinematics intermediate between old disk and population II has spectraltype M6. It is probably an old star whose mass is low enough that it hasretained significant rotation up to present, still consistently withlonger spin-down times for lower mass stars. We observe, on the otherhand, no conspicuous change in the v sin i\ distribution or activitypattern at the mass (M ~ 0.35 Msun) below which stars remainfully convective down to the main sequence. These new data areconsistent with a saturated correlation between rotation and activity,similar to the one observed for younger or more massive stars:L_X/Lbol and L_{H_alpha }/Lbol both correlate withv sin i\ for v sin i\ -5km.s^{-1} and then saturate at respectively10^{-2.5} and 10^{-3.5}$. Based on observations made at the Observatoirede Haute-Provence (CNRS), France Tables 2 and 4 are also available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html.
| Observation and modelling of main sequence stellar chromospheres. VI. Halpha_ and CaII line observations of M1 dwarfs and comparison with models.
We compare hydrogen and calcium line calculations for dM1 (Teff=3500K)stellar chromospheres with high resolution observations of a selectedsample of stars with the same spectral type ((R-I)_K_=0.875+/-0.05). Webring evidence that grids of uniform model atmospheres in theplane-parallel and hydrostatic equilibrium approximations can reproducethe average spectral signatures throughout the entire activity range.Observations confirm that when magnetic activity level rises, theHα line is first weak, then increases in absorption strength,rapidly fills in and eventually goes into emission. We obtain acorrelation between the Hα line width and equivalent width that isin good agreement with our model calculations. Simultaneous Hα andCaII line observations allow to remove the degeneracy in Hαequivalent width for low activity (weak absorption) and intermediateactivity stars (filled in profiles). We show that the latter grouprepresents a significant proportion of the stellar population. Withinthe active stars group, we find an exclusion zone in the[0.25Å;-1Å] Hα equivalent width domain, that can besimply explained by the rapid change from the absorption to the emissionregimes when the chromospheric pressure increases. In our sample of 154stars, covering a large luminosity range, we found no ``zero-Hα''stars but instead a minimum (possibly ``basal'') Hα equivalentwidth of ~0.20Å which, with reference to our models, suggests atransition region column mass of log(M)~-5.5. This implies that for anoverwhelming majority of M1 type dwarfs the amount of non-thermal energyinput in the chromosphere is much higher than in the Sun, and byreference to acoustic heating calculations, that they are alsomagnetically much more active (per unit area). Our observations provideevidence for gradual and important changes in the integrated physicalproperties of the chromosphere throughout the activity range. Forexample, the equivalent widths of the H and K line cores are tightlycorrelated with their ratio, the later decreasing from low activity(~1.50 at -0.2Å) to high activity stars (~1.06 at -15Å). TheK lines are also typically 30% broader than the H lines and their widthsincrease with increasing activity level. This suggests that theiroptical depths in their region of formation also increase withincreasing activity level. Our calcium line calculations reproduce theobserved trends. We confirm a near UV and blue excess in active dMestars that increases with activity level; in average 0.12 magnitudes inU-B (and up to 0.26mag.) and 0.03 magnitudes in B-V. This excess isabout three times larger than expected from our calculations for a givenatmospheric pressure, and together with discrepancies between models andobservations for spectral lines, all converge to imply that highpressure plages with a filling factor of about 30% are present on thesestars. Low metallicity halo dwarfs in our sample also exhibit a U-Bexcess, but in the case of single dMe stars an effect of metallicity isexcluded. In our sample, single dMe stars are more luminous than theirless active absorption line counterparts. We present anactivity-luminosity relationship for the CaII lines; namely, the CaIIline fluxes rise as the power of 5.4 of the stellar radius. Hence, weexpect the stellar magnetic flux to rise approximately as the power of7.4 of the radius; an important constraint for the dynamo mechanism.Such a correlation is also found with Hα and L_X_, the X-rayluminosity. With our present understanding, these correlations are, atleast partly, activity-metallicity relationships. We emphasize theimportance of metallicity on stellar activity as a whole, i.e., metaldeficient stars are also activity deficient.
| An H-alpha survey of neglected Vyssotsky Catalog stars
Consideration is given to a significant number of Vyssotsky K- andM-dwarfs that have either no published radial velocity (71 stars), or avelocity based on a single measure (22), or with an uncertaintly greaterthan 5 km/s (19). An 'in flare' observation of Vys 250A compared to itsquiescent state, and an example of the double-lined phase of Vys 250Bare illustrated. Mean values from the observations are given in tabularform.
| Low-Mass Binaries and the Stellar Luminosity Function
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1997AJ....113.2246R
| The Palomar/MSU Nearby Star Spectroscopic Survey.II.The Southern M Dwarfs and Investigation of Magnetic Activity
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1996AJ....112.2799H&db_key=AST
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Member of following groups:
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Pégase |
| Right ascension: | 22h56m34.81s |
| Declination: | +16°33'12.3" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 8.731 |
| Distance: | 6.884 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -1032.8 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -284.1 |
| B-T magnitude: | 10.52 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.879 |
Catalogs and designations:
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